Your teens are living in a different world than you lived in as a teen. So what does that mean to you?
It means that they face different challenges, temptations, concerns, and cultural forces. And it means that parenting is different today than it was when your parents were raising you.
No Parent Left Behind is a seminar for parents that includes three fast-paced and practical sessions led by Dr. Walk Mueller, founder and President of the Center for Parent Youth Understanding. The three sessions include:
- Session 1: Know Your Teen – learn how kids grow, develop and change, and how the teenage years leave them vulnerable to cultural influences
- Session 2: Know Their World – learn about major cultural forces in today’s world that are influencing children and teens
- Session 3: Know Your Role – as parents you learn about hope-filled and practical guidance on how to increase your parental influence and lead your kids to a spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthy adulthood.
The seminars are held on Friday, February 10, 2012 through Saturday, February 11, 2012. Session 1 is Friday night from 7-8:30 p.m and Sessions 2 and 3 are from 9-10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m respectively. Sessions are just $5 per person or $12 for all three.
If you have young children or teens, this is a good time to learn more about parenting at Third Presbyterian Church, 600 Forest Avenue, Henrico, VA 23229.
For registration or more information, contact Vicki Brooks at 804.282.4645 extension 115 or vickieb@thirdpres.org.
Caregiving is a challenging and sometimes exhausting experience. If you’re providing care for an elderly parent, or someone else older, you know how difficult it can be. Although it is a rewarding experience, it also takes on toll on those who sacrifice time and money — and especially if you’re balancing family, jobs, and other responsibilities.
Now Lift Caregiving is offering help and resources to those who need it most. Lift Caregiving and VCU Department of Gerontology & School of Geriatric Medicine are presenting Modern Aging – a free resource day for family caregivers.
This is an opportunity to:
- enjoy a free day-long event that covers expert advice helpful tools and a provider-based Resource Center
- free flu shots (bring insurance card, limited quantities available)
- free in-home and on-site respite care options (register by October 20th at liftcaregiving.com)
- free bone density, glucose and blood pressure screenings
- free advance medical directive/power of attorney consultation and development
- free diabetic meter testing
You’ll also learn more about:
- Essential Eating with a live cooking demo and tips on preparing nutritious, delicious and affordable meals
- Dealing with Dementia where you will learn how to build a support circle and more
- Financial Footings program led by financial and legal experts
- Weathering Work led by HR experts with tips on better integrating care and work responsibilities
- Courageous Conversations to help you talk about difficult issues as a family and move forward together
Ted Ukrop
The event takes place on October 29, 2011 from 11: a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center on 2800 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060.
Lift Caregiving
Katie Gilstrap, an incredibly successful and energetic Richmonder, is the founder and CEO of Lift Caregiving and she is joined by her friend and colleague, Ted Ukrop. The two worked together to create an organization to meaningfully support and help those caring for others. They are passionate in their mission to provide resources and support for those who need it most right here in our community.
As a one-stop resource for family caregivers, offering assistance advice, and answers, Lift Caregiving is an incredible resource for caregivers and their families. Don’t miss the opportunity to get the help you need and deserve as a caregiver — and give yourself a break on this special day to celebrate YOU!
Visit the Lift Caregiving website to learn more and make plans now for this incredible day for you.
Me, my 4 siblings, cousins, and my grandparents.
As a grandparent of the 21st century, there are so many things I wish my grandchildren — and even my children — could experience, but they never will. Times have changed and with the changes, life affords our children and grandchildren so many wonderful opportunities and new challenges. Advanced technology, affordable transportation, and new lifestyles make the world seem a lot smaller today than it seemed when we were kids.
But I believe the rapid pace of the world, cell phones, computers, ipods, ipads, iphones, itouches, e-readers, and lots of other technological advances rob our children of really seeing the world in the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Thinking about my childhood compared to my children’s and my grandchildren’s childhoods brought back a flood of memories – many that my grandchildren will never believe. I pondered some of these things and through a moment of nostalgia, I found myself longing for simpler days. But more importantly, I found myself fervently wishing that my grandchildren could experience some of these things.
No, I didn’t walk 10 miles to school every day, uphill both ways. And I never had to saddle the horses to pull the wagon to town, or haul buckets of water from the creek! But there are some incredible memories of my childhood and growing up in the country. There are things I experienced that I know they’ll never experience, but I wish they could — for just a moment.
- Walking out to gather fresh eggs for my grandmother in the late afternoon, feeling the cool crisp breeze across my face as I carefully stepped into the hen house and filled the wicker basket to overflowing.
- Sitting around the small black and white television set as we watched man take the first step on the moon — amazed and in awe. We just knew that we’d be wearing metallic spacesuits and protective gear to usher in the 21st century!
- Skipping rocks on the pond behind our house as our dad sat quietly on the bank fishing for tiny brim and sneaking in an occasional nap.
- Taking turns at the hand-cranked ice cream churn as we anticipated the delicious homemade ice cream like only momma could make.
- Catching a whiff of the woody aroma as we turned the pages of the encyclopedias to find descriptions and pictures of things we’d never seen.
- Sniffing the rawness of the fresh hay as it was piled into the barn for the animals, and watching the huge silo fill up with the earthy harvest in the fall.
- Climbing the old apple tree in the backyard with limbs mysteriously moving in every direction, and rushing in with a bucket full of apples just in time for my grandma to make the best apple pie you’ve ever eaten.
- Watching my momma roll out homemade biscuits and washing the tops with melted butter.
- Riding our bicycles for hours down dirt roads, around fenced pastures with beautiful majestic horses, and around by the muddy pond where we found plenty of frogs and yes — even a few harmless snakes.
- Laying in bed at night with the windows open and the sounds of crickets chirping softly through the screens, watching the moonlight shadows dance across the room.
- Watching my grandmother sitting in her rocking chair, her apron draped around her knees and a bushel of fragrant fruit beside her, as she slowly peeled the fresh, juicy peaches and dropped them gently into a metal pan – occasionally slipping me a piece.
- Running next door to my grandparent’s house to sit with them in a creaky wooden rocking chair on the front porch in the early evening hours as the stars sparkled above and the moonlight draped across the porch — as we simply watched an occasional car or truck pass by, and listened to my grandma and grandpa talk about the crops, the weather, and what was going on at church.
- Catching lightning bugs in a jar with a lid pierced with jagged holes and using them for lanterns to light our way back home from grandma’s house at bedtime.
The ’60s seem so far away now, but the memories are still so vivid. The times we spent in rural southwest Virginia growing up were some of the best times of our lives, but we didn’t know it at the time. Reflecting on those years and how we lived compared to our children and grandchildren today are worlds apart.
I am thankful that our children have a better style of living, but I also regret that they never get to experience so many of those simple things in life. I recall my granddaughter visiting us at our home in Goochland, where the skies seem bigger and brighter than they do in Short Pump, or Glen Allen, or Richmond, or Chesterfield. She looked up at the shining stars and then with a child’s excitement she said, “Gigi, you can even see the stars from your house – you are so lucky!”
Yes, Emma, I am lucky. I am lucky that I lived my childhood during a time when life was a little bit slower and people had a little more time to enjoy visiting, talking and being together. I’m lucky that I lived my childhood in a place where even the simplest of things was a treat to me and my 4 siblings.
And I’m lucky that I live in a robust, growing, and incredibly awesome place today on the fringes of the capital city of our state where commerce, business, techonology, education, arts, entertainment and more are right at our fingertips.
There are plenty of personal childhood experiences I only wish I could share with my grandchildren for a moment. I just wonder how they will reflect on their childhood when they have grandchildren. I can only imagine that their world will look a lot simpler to their grandchildren too.
I guess they’ll be the lucky ones then.
Mrs. Nelson and John Thomas enjoy a special gift basket together.
Can a simple, short visit just to say “hello” make your day brighter?
It definitely can if you’re an older adult who has little opportunity to interact with others, get out and about alone, or frailties of aging that keep you closed up in your home much of the time. With the increasing rate of chronic disease and the rapidly increasing number of people in the 60+ age category, there are plenty of lonely, isolated people around – some of whom might just be in your own neighborhood.
Thanks to ElderFriends, a service of Family Lifeline, there is a friendly visiting program for isolated and/or lonely elders where volunteers can make a difference in their lives. With just one visit per week, you can bring sunshine into the life of an elder-person who simply seeks companionship and someone to talk to.
Are you thinking that as a young mom or dad, you don’t have any more time to spare? Read what one of our Richmondmom.com readers has to say about this.
Helen’s Story
Helen Trevey and her family moved to Richmond about 4 ½ years ago. The ElderFriends program was just beginning at that point and she decided to attend one of their training sessions to learn more about them. She was quickly paired up with an elder-friend who was unable to leave her house and was somewhat depressed. The two talked by phone weekly for a while and then she began to visit her new friend.
“As a person new to Richmond and newly married, it was a great way to volunteer and have a new friend. I was with my first elder-friend for two years, but transitioned her to another volunteer when my son was born. I really hated doing this because I knew how much she enjoyed our visits, but I also knew the new volunteer would give her the support she needed and I had no help with my son,” explains Helen.
When Helen’s son was one-year old, she felt a strong desire to get involved with another elder-friend. “I had stayed active within the committee for ElderFriends during that year, but had not taken on a new friend. But I knew I wanted to. I was soon paired up with Mrs. Nelson who was an 89-year old woman with a sharp mind, but physical problems that would not allow her to get out of the house, and we became wonderful friends.”
“My son was already starting to talk at one, and Mrs. Nelson totally enjoyed him coming along on our visits. She even had a special basket of toys for him beside her chair, and each visit when we arrived, she had taken his favorite toy out and placed it on the table. That meant so much to me as a mother,” Helen remembers fondly.
Helen explains how Mrs. Nelson has two daughters and two sons and even though they live close-by and check on Mrs. Nelson daily, they work full-time and have many commitments themselves. Her visits were a great help to Mrs. Nelson and to her family. It gave her elder-friend something that was hers and hers alone too. They shared stories and had many similar interests. Mrs. Nelson was able to relay her conversations and stories of their visits to her own children each day when they called or stopped by. It helped Mrs. Nelson continue to feel some semblance of independence because this was a relationship that was especially for her.
“Sometimes I would take a few groceries because I knew what she liked. Sometimes we just stopped by to say hi. It was a treat because my son’s grandparents don’t live nearby, so this gave him a person to get to know who was like a grandparent. It taught him about being around elderly people and he learned to relate to her well. When he did visit his grandparents, he was more open and related to them better I believe. Mrs. Nelson helped him develop his social personality and learn new activities too. She would count with him and help him learn new things every visit.”
Mrs. Nelson passed away this summer and it was a very difficult loss for Helen and her family. It was like losing a member of their family. But it was a relationship and experience that she would not trade for anything. “Elder people are so humble in giving advice, yet they teach us so much. You get so much wisdom from elders just by sitting and listening to what they have to say. John Thomas and I will miss her very much.”
The Family Speaks
The story doesn’t end there.
Mrs. Nelson’s children also talked about the Family LifeLine program and what it meant to them. We sat down with one of Mrs. Nelson’s daughters, Mary Jane Michael. Mary Jane could not say enough about what Helen and the program meant to her mother and her family.
Mary Jane explained that she introduced the ElderFriends program to her mother through a gift basket they brought her on Christmas. She explained that a group of people cared enough to send this gift and they wanted to visit with her. That basket made it easier to introduce the program to our mother and start this friendship with Helen.
“Helen was wonderful for my mother and my mom could depend on her coming every week with John Thomas. That meant a lot to her. Others came by occasionally, but Helen was such a loyal friend and my mother loved the visits with her young son,” Mary Jane explains.
Mary Jane said that her mother knew how busy Helen was with a young son and a very busy life and it made her really appreciate the effort she put forth to make visits to her. It gave her mother something to look forward to and most importantly, it was someone who wanted to come and see her. It was not someone who came because they were paid or they had to and her mother knew that.
“My mother would always tell us about the visits with Helen and John Thomas and it gave her something special to share with us. It was important to her and she was excited to tell us things we didn’t know about her day. The more visits she had, the more stimulated she was and that made her life happier. These visits gave her a reason to get up, get dressed, and made her feel important and valued,” Mary Jane recalls.
Mrs. Nelson went to live with Mary Jane during her last 6 weeks of life, and Helen continued to call and visit even though it was a much longer drive for her. “That was helpful to me and it continued to be special to my mother.”
“I would absolutely encourage people to get involved with ElderFriends. It is a valuable program that does more than words can express. It only takes a 60 minute visit once a week to make a difference to an elderly person and the person’s family. Just knowing someone else cares makes a difference to all of us. Helen was very special to our mother and she is very special to us. She and John Thomas made a huge difference in our lives and we are grateful for the time she shared with our mother.”
A Balancing Act
We asked Helen if it was difficult to find time to make the visits to Mrs. Nelson. “You make it a priority in your life and make a commitment. It’s just one day a week for an hour, although we often stayed longer and visited more. But it’s like going to the gym or anything else that’s important to your life – you put it on your calendar and you do it. You will find the time because it’s that important and it’s rewarding.”
It is a balancing act to fit one more thing into your day, especially when you have young children. But when you know that you are making a difference in the lives of people and are demonstrating caring, love and compassion to your children to help them develop important social skills, then it is worth the effort.
As Helen explained to us, “Not only did this help Mrs. Nelson, it helped me. And it gave me and my husband something important to talk about over dinner at night as John Thomas and I shared stories about Mrs. Nelson. It has only been weeks since Mrs. Nelson passed away, but I am getting ready to meet a new elder friend soon. It hurt to lose her, but I know I made a difference and I will continue to make a difference.”
Helen also emphasizes, “Don’t be afraid to introduce your child to situations involving elder friends because they look over those things that worry adults, and only see the beauty in a person. They help bring out that beauty and create new hope. John Thomas knows that we won’t be seeing Mrs. Nelson anymore, but he is ready to meet a new friend and he holds fond memories of those days with Mrs. Nelson. That’s what life is all about.”
For more information, visit the Family Lifeline website or email them at elderfriends@familylifeline.org. You can also call Ruth Anne Young at 804.249.5432. We challenge all Richmond moms to search within themselves and see if this is something that might fit within their priorities. And then visit the Family Lifelife website and learn more about the program. You will definitely make a difference in someone’s life.
And you will likely find that they will make a special difference in your life too.
Are grandparents safer drivers than parents?
I remember the first time I put my youngest grandchild in the rear-facing carseat of my car. I think I was more nervous than when I placed my first child in a carseat. Being responsible for a child while driving is a heavy responsibility at any age.
Now, I buckle all three of the little ones in their seats and head out for an outing almost weekly — but I still have a tiny bit of anxiety that makes me drive a bit more cautiously than I normally would.
As a grandparent, I was pleased with the most recent study that demonstrates kids “may be safest in cars when grandma or grandpa are driving instead of mom or dad”. The study was a huge surprise to most, including the researchers themselves.
According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where the study was conducted, the injury rate was considerably lower in crashes where grandparents were the drivers. The study found that children’s risk of injury was 50% lower when riding with grandparents than with parents. Almost 12,000 children up to age 15 were included in the study.
There are many speculations about why this is true.
- Perhaps grandparents are more nervous and therefore more cautious drivers with grandchildren on-board.
- Grandparents may be under less stress and time constraints than parents, and they are are often less distracted.
- They may also drive more during off-peak traffic times since many grandparents do not drive during normal commuting hours.
- Maybe they are more experienced, or perhaps their driving habits have become better as they got older.
- Grandparents today are also not quite as old as they were a few decades ago – the average age of today’s grandparent is 58.
Of course, the study has some limitations and there were findings that showed parents were more cautious about things such as ensuring carseats were rear-facing until the appropriate age. But those things did not materially impact the focus of the study outcomes. A lot more research must be conducted to really figure out what all of this means.
I’d like to think that as grandparents, we have learned something in our lives about a lot of things, including driving. This doesn’t mean every parent should turn over the car keys to grandparents, but it does make a lot of grandparents feel good about the way they care for their precious cargo like only a grandparent can do.
No matter – I’ll still always have heightened awareness with my grandchildren in tow – and hopefully that will keep them as safe as possible.
The press release from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia can be found here.
Connor loves the beach - for 30 minutes!
My husband and I look forward to spending time at the beach with our children and grandchildren every summer. It’s a tradition we hope to continue for as long as we are able. Unfortunately, our youngest daughter and her husband could not vacation with us this year since they recently spent almost a week off preparing for their wedding and another two weeks in Spain.
But that didn’t keep the rest of us from heading to the Outer Banks and Duck, NC where we enjoy sun, water, great food, and plenty of fun. And this year was especially interesting!
Our first day preparing to head down to the beach was exciting. Once the kids heard, “Let’s go down to the beach and play in the ocean,” the fun began. They scrambled down the stairs to find their swimsuits and get ready. I headed to my room where I took my time applying sunscreen, putting my hair up, putting on my swimsuit, and choosing the perfect pair of matching earrings. Donning my sunglasses, I grabbed a towel, a bottle of ice water and a good book.
I was ready!
And then, I saw what was happening around me. Emma (8), Connor (6) and Lily (2) were busy getting ready, but the scene wasn’t quite as calm. Dana was scrambling to keep Lily still as she applied sunscreen on her. Connor’s crinkled nose was obviously a sign that he was not happy with his daddy applying sunscreen to his face. They were finally all protected with sunscreen in a variety of types and SPFs to protect their delicate skin.
Next, Chris began packing the insulated beach bag with water, ice, crackers, protein bars, special treats and more. Simultaneously, Dana was filling an over-sized beach bag with shovels, buckets, floating toys, cups, spoons, and lots of other fun things to dig in the sand. Then she grabbed 5 or 6 beach towels, all folded neatly together. As Chris reached for the beach umbrella, he also pulled out beach chairs in varying sizes for each child, him and Dana.
Children were scattered in every direction as Dana instructed them to find their beach shoes and help carry the load to the beach. Of course, they were only able to carry a single towel from what I could surmise. I watched as Chris threw the chairs and umbrella on his back, grabbed the cooler and beach bag and headed out. Dana, with Lily in hand, picked up the remaining towels, toys, books, sunscreen and other items left behind. They all headed out the back door to the beach and across the warm sand.
Ahhhhh………finally, we were there. Cool wind drifted across the sand as the sun shone brightly. The umbrella cast just enough of a shadow to make a cool haven for watching the surf roll onto shore. The children played in the sand and raced the waves as they crashed on the shore. Now it was time to relax.
Just as I sat back, closing my eyes to enjoy the smells and sounds of the beach, it happened.
“Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Mommy, I’m hot – can I have some water.”
“Mommy, can we go to the pool.”
“Daddy, I’ve got sand in my swimsuit.”
“Daddy, hold me – I’m tired.”
And after 30 minutes, they were packing it all back up again, heading across the sand — which by now was getting hot — and up the stairs to the house. Almost before we left, we were back at our beach house again – all 3 kids in tow, as Dana and Chris patiently and methodically unloaded everything by the pool and began the next 30-minute adventure.
Some things are just better handled by parents I decided.
Ahhhhh……the beauties of being a grandparent. And I wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything else!
HCA Hospitals offer convenient locations throughout Richmond and now they're coming to Goochland.
None of us wants to require the services of an emergency room, urgent care center, or other healthcare services. But when we need them, we want them to be convenient, cost-effective, high quality and friendly! As wise health-care consumers, Richmond moms and families want choices when it comes to accessing the best healthcare services available.
HCA Hospitals provide all of that and more. And now they’re even more convenient than ever before.
Welcome HCA to Goochland
A brand new medical complex is being constructed for HCA in West Creek (Goochland County) and it will open before the end of the year. This is a much-needed healthcare facility that will be located just minutes from Short Pump and within easy access to Goochland, Powhatan, Chesterfield and other Greater Richmond areas.
The new state-of-the-art healthcare facility and complex will include:
- 12 patient treatment centers
- CT scanner
- Ultrasound equipment
- X-ray equipment
- Medical laboratory
- Pharmacy services
The complex is also planned to eventually include:
- Medical office buildings
- A hospital
- Geo-thermal underground well system to use energy transfer to heat and cool the building
The site of the new HCA facility in Goochland is located at Route 288 and Tuckahoe Parkway East. Once again, HCA is leading the way for healthcare in the Richmond area!
Richmond moms and families now have more choices when it comes to convenient, affordable, high-quality healthcare services for their families.
VT 52 Florida State 51
It’s Friday night and I am dutifully fulfilling my caregiving responsibilities by taking my turn at taking care of my father. I drove the almost 3 hour trip in mostly dismal, gray rain to get here, where my two brothers, two sisters, their families, and my father live.
Caregiving often feels like a thankless job and it is tiring and even embarassing at times. Embarassing for the caregiver and the recipient of care to take care of some of the personal issues involved. But we handle what life deals us in the best way possible and that brings me back home to help care for my aging father. His broken shoulder is somewhat better and his seizures are more controlled, but he still needs constant attention for nearly every move he makes.
After a long and exhausting day, he and I both were very tired tonight. He decided to turn in for bed and watch a little of the Virginia Tech basketball game from his hospital bed.
A sports fan
My father is an avid Virginia Tech fan and has been a sports enthusiast his entire life. He can reel off the names of coaches, players, teams and stats that most people don’t even know exist. In his early days, he was always exuberant and nearly fanatical during any type of football, baseball, or basketball game, or other sporting events. I remember my mother “warning” us each Sunday when we were kids that a game would be on television and we should find something outside to do.
Now, he still enjoys watching games, but not with the same vigor I recall when we were both much younger.
I had left him watching the Virginia Tech and Florida State game for a while, as I cleared away some final dishes and finished up some housekeeping chores. Then, I went in to see if he was ready for me to turn off the TV, and he asked, “Why don’t you sit down and watch the game with me for a minute?”
An unusual request — since he knows I’ve never been much of a sports fan and sometimes I’m not even sure about the rules of the game. But to oblige him, I sat compliantly.
More than a game
We sat in the shadows of his bedroom, chatted and watched the game a while. Before long it became a little more intense as the gap in scoring was narrowed and VT was gaining momentum. It looked like the Hokies would surely lose at first, but a new energy was overtaking them. For a moment it seemed that they would win and the cheerleading spirit of a sports enthusiast took over my father as he became totally engaged and animated about the game.
And for a moment, I saw glimpses of my father when he was younger and when he had always been exuberant and excited about every second of a game. As his enthusiasm grew tonight, so did mine. We were both like over-zealous fans — him kicking his feet against his metal hospital bed and me punching the arms of my chair as if it would make the ball miraculously plop through the net. We yelled at players and high-fived each other at unexpected plays — being careful not to upset his broken shoulder of course!
With less than 3 seconds, the game was now totally intense and the score teetered between a 1 and 2 point spread for the teams. And then, with less than 5 seconds, Florida State had possession of the ball and just as the buzzer sounded – swish – and the 2 pointer appeared to position FS as winner of the game.
Disappointment.
But wait……a review of the play. Maybe the FS player didn’t get the shot off before the buzzer. Intense moments ensued as my father and I sat with knuckles gripped, holding our breath, and shouting our own “official calls” of the winner. And then the final official call came.
The shot was too late and Virginia Tech had won the game!
My father and I both shouted and laughed like we had not done in many years it seemed. I turned to look at him in the bed and for those moments during a college basketball game, I had forgotten how frail and fragile he has become. I had forgotten how sad it is that he no longer is able to care for himself. And I had forgotten that I had left my own husband and family over 160 miles away to come and spend days and nights with my father as his temporary caregiver.
Glimpses of beauty
Life is challenging and even unbearable at times. But there are glimpses of beauty, happiness and joy in every day. Tonight I saw incredible glimpses of all three of these as I sat by my father’s bedside enjoying a basketball game with him. I’m thankful I didn’t allow this moment to go by without taking advantage of it.
These are memories I will cherish forever.
Yes, my father’s favorite college team won tonight….but that’s not the only win I saw tonight. I saw my father winning his battle to live a happy life in spite of his physical ailments - in any and every way possible.
“Thank you Virginia Tech — for giving me and my father a chance to forget about how frail he has become, if only for a short while.”
I think my dad will sleep like a baby in jail!
Caregiving is a challenging and stressful responsibility.
Whether you’re providing care for an aging parent who lives close or far away, it is difficult on everyone involved. Unfortunately, many elderly adults often do not receive the services and benefits they deserve and need.
My father is suffering from a variety of problems including a broken shoulder, periodic TIAs (mini-strokes), and a benign brain tumor pressing on his brain. He needs ongoing care and support to help him with daily personal care, meals, medication management, housekeeping, financial management, and more.
I live 3 hours from him although I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters who live very close to him. We all share responsibility for caregiving in different ways.
But now, I have the perfect answer to the situation.
We will have him put in jail!
I’ve given this a lot of thought and here are the reasons I think this will work.
While in jail, he will receive:
- Free room and board
- 24 hour monitoring and surveillance to ensure his safety
- Immediate response if he attempts to leave his room unassisted during the night or day
- Meals and snacks delivered
- His own private “room” with a built-in toilet
- Free prescriptions
- Free dental and medical treatment when needed
- Wheelchairs and other equipment to make it easier to get around
- Handicapped ramps and facilities
- Daily showers
- An enclosed, safe outdoor space for walking and exercise
- Clean bedding twice each week
- Clean, ironed clothes weekly
- Security guards to check on him every 15-20 minutes
- Family visits in a visitation room designed for comfort
- Exercise and fitness facilities
- Spiritual and religious counseling and support
- Educational resources
- A library
- TV, radio and computer access
- Free admission to in-house movies and live entertainment
- Payment for performing simple tasks for the “community”
- A board of directors to listen to concerns and ensure there is no neglect or mistreatment (ACLU)
- Uniformed aides for easy identification
- Free access to legal counsel if needed
- Activities and social gatherings with other “residents”
I think this will work!
As for the criminal he displaces in the jail, he will be transferred to a local nursing home where he will receive:
- Cold food
- Unsupervised care
- Showers once a week
- Tiny rooms for only $5,000 monthly
- Overworked staff
Yep, I think it will work.
Now, if I can just get my sisters and brothers on-board with this!
The colorful hydrangeas will burst forth with vibrant color in summer.
A visit to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens this weekend was refreshing, relaxing and invigorating all at the same time.
I strolled through the gardens with my youngest daughter and future son-in-law as we visited the site for their upcoming April 30, 2011 wedding and marriage celebration. If you’ve never been to a wedding at Lewis Ginter, you have to attend one because it is unbelievably awesome!
A million blooms
The “million blooms” will soon display a spectacular backdrop of colorful blooms in every direction. The gardens are an incredible and beautiful site to behold and they’re located right here in the Richmond area.
I was reminded of the beauty and resilience of the seasons of nature as we walked through the gardens.
But more importantly, I was reminded of the natural course that life takes as we traverse through the natural seasons of life.
Nature’s way
As winter approaches, the bulbs, trees and buds bury their tiny heads to protect themselves from the harsh winds and cold air. They huddle beneath the soil or within the strong limbs of the trees, awaiting signs that Spring is near. They long for signs of warmth and light when they can once again bloom and thrive.
As winter slowly passes and Spring takes its place, the buds and flowers burst forth with energy and excitement that has them brilliantly boasting their color with pride. From vibrant tulips and delicate Dogwood trees, to dancing daffodils and mighty oak trees, they will all dress in magnificent splendor. Moving into summer, the multi-colored hydrangeas and deeply colored roses will peek out to see that it is safe to emerge and their beauty will be unrivaled.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden offers us a unique opportunity to enjoy the natural cycles of nature throughout the year — and it’s a place where we can always be reminded of the miracles of life, birth, and rebirth.
Seasons of life
Just like the blooms that emerge in spring and summer, we go through cycles in our lives. While things may temporarily get us down and have us hiding our hearts and heads from the harshness of things that life sometimes throws our way, we will get past it and a new day will bring warmth and sunshine to our hearts again.
We will find happiness and comfort in new ideas, new friendships, new opportunities, and new challenges.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens are more than lush gardens in the midst of a bustling city and the surrounding community. They are a reminder that every day brings about changes and new life to celebrate.
Lewis Ginter gardens are a reminder that “this too shall pass” when things aren’t going exactly as planned. And a reminder that every day is filled with beauty in some way.
Celebrate life
Thank you Lewis Ginter!
I will celebrate the joy and anticipation of the upcoming wedding between my daughter and her fiance.
And I will enjoy the beauty of the gardens that remind me to see the beauty in every day.